Article March 27, 1920 Issue

A critic objects to the reply to the Dean of Durham's...

T. E. Davidson

Newcastle-on-Tyne (England) Journal

A critic objects to the reply to the Dean of Durham's sermon in your issue of recent date, particularly to the statement that "Christian Science accepts unreservedly the teachings of the gospel of Christ, as taught in the New Testament," and goes on to make the sweeping assertion that "Christian Science denies all the great doctrines of the New Testament."

Your correspondent is incorrect in asserting that Christian Science denies the resurrection, the atonement, or the reality of prayer, but he is right in saying it denies the existence of a personal devil or Satan, and on this point it claims to be in accord with the teaching of the New Testament; for Jesus himself said that the devil was "a liar, and the father of it." Christian Scientists believe in one infinite, omnipotent God, who is Love, and that "there is none else beside him." This precludes the belief in an opposite power called evil. All the devil there is, is but the mortal false sense of things, expressed through a belief of evil as a reality. Christian Science does not deny the divinity of the Christ, but says Christ is the eternal, spiritual idea of God, whereas Jesus was the man who was endowed with the divine Spirit of Christ "without measure," and it holds that "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Instead of Christian Science teaching being contrary to the New Testament, as your correspondent asserts, it adheres strictly to such teaching, refusing to separate or omit part of it, but claiming to "preach the gospel" and "heal the sick." The first tenet of the Christian Science church (Science and Health, p. 497) declares that "as adherents of Truth, we take the inspired Word of the Bible as our sufficient guide to eternal Life."

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